U.S. Pat. No. 7,326,132 of Olexa describes a lacrosse shooting range for practicing lacrosse ball throwing with a ball return mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,045 of Linner an ice hockey game platform (a baseball “batting cage” equivalent), a goal with targets, a computer controlled puck circulator, including a magazine of pucks, a passing unit (i.e. “projector”), which passes (i.e. throws) pucks to a player, a conveyor belt which sorts and conveys already shot pucks into the magazine (i.e. reloads the used pucks) wherein, with a light barrier, a camera and a computer program, the players' shots of pucks toward the quadrangle target are evaluated and assigned a point value in a data network (i.e. score-keeping database of other players) and where the puck magazine is made of an outer tube and an inner tube, with a spiraling helical ramp that is only wide enough so that the pucks moving in progression on the conveyor are aligned in a row behind one another and that the slope and surface of the helical ramp are constructed so that the pucks advance automatically under gravity to the “passing unit (i.e. “projector”) to be thrown again in the direction of the player.
PCT WO95-24950 of Gronroos describes a hockey playing platform with a target, a computer, a puck magazine and a passing unit (i.e. projector)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,000 of Cuneo describes a Simulated Goaltender with a camera for photographing a player's swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,237 of Stephenson describes a game tournament scoring database.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,304 of BelleIsle describes a hockey training platform with a conveyor belt and two inclined collector surfaces to transport the hockey pucks back to the player.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,675 of DiMarzio simulated hockey playing training device with a simulated goalie.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,661,679 B2 of Mah describes an electronic target system for a sports goal This system does not project balls to a player. It simply instruments a goal with multiple hoops or ring elements mounted on the goal frame as target areas. If a projectile ball goes through the hoop, it is detected and feedback is given to player. A player can be guided to a particular target by lights and feedback can be given by lights and/or siren as to hit/miss.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,854,669 B2 Marty describes a trajectory detection and feedback system, which does not project balls to a player. This system detects the trajectory of a thrown “basketball” as shot by a player on a simulated playing area. The trajectory is detected by video cameras and other sensors and recorded and analyzed by computer with feedback to player, but does not project balls at a desired trajectory to the player.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,052,545 B1 of Assenheimer discloses a sports training device where goal targets are hung from the frame of a goal. If struck by the player's ball, a bell sounds. Assenheimer '545 does not describe a ball projection device which projects a ball toward a player.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,152,661 B2 of House describes a lacrosse training method and apparatus, which uses a lacrosse stick or glove with a laser diode, which transmits a narrow beam of light at a target receiver mounted on a simulated goal. The system is used to train the player in aligning the stick in the proper manner prior to making his or her shot. House '661 does not describe a training method which projects a ball toward a player.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,182,372 B2 of Hayes describes a device for training athletic or sports ball players, which includes a narrow sliver of a goal with vertically dispersed net pouches. If a player hits a ball or puck successfully, it will be captured by one of the nets. Hayes '372 does not disclose a ball projection device which throws balls at a player at desired angles and trajectories.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,287,404 B2 of Cucjen discloses a programmable ball throwing apparatus, which is restricted to a ball projector and the computer system that controls the ball's trajectory path toward the player. Cucjen '404's ball projector does not include vertical height adjustment and the ability for the mechanism to move by motorized wheels. Cucjen '404 uses a pedestal drive motor which controls horizontal aiming. Cucjen '404's launch mechanism is vertical but not horizontal in placement. Cucjen '404 needs vertical launch wheels and separate motors to impart spin by having them rotate at different speeds. Cucjen '404 does not utilize a single launch motor with a belt which rotates both wheels. Cucjen '404 does not describe a tilt mechanism. Because Cucjen '404 does not have a true height adjustment, it cannot duplicate a trajectory where, if one picks a point in three-dimensional (3-D) space, a ball can be launched to the selected point in space at a certain speed from different heights, with resulting different trajectories that cannot be launched from a fixed height. Cucjen '404 also does not describe a motor drive with a motor and a rail for movement of the ball projector.